1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to chip card retaining mechanisms and, more particularly, to a chip card retaining mechanism for seating a chip card in an electronic device such as a mobile phone.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, electronic devices such as mobile phones are widely used and bring convenience to our lives, and as such, electronic devices have become a part of modern life. Every electronic device has a chip card such as a SIM (subscriber identification module) card for carrying information necessary for operating the mobile phone. The chip card may also contain information specific to the subscriber, for example, a listing of frequently used telephone numbers. However, it is essential to provide a chip card retaining mechanism to hold the chip card in the electronic device and thus ensure safe information transfer.
Referring to FIG. 6, a typical chip card retaining mechanism used in a mobile phone is as follows. The chip card retaining mechanism includes a mounting base 92 and a locking element 94. A receiving recess 921 is defined in the mounting base 92 and is configured (i.e., structured and arranged) for receiving a chip card. A connector 90 is disposed in the receiving recess 921. The locking element 94 is mounted on the mounting base 92 and located adjacent to the receiving recess 921. The locking element 94 can move in a direction shown by an arrow. In assembly, the locking element 94 is pushed away from the receiving recess 921 to completely expose the receiving recess 921. The chip card is received in the receiving recess 921, and the locking element 94 is pushed toward the receiving recess 921 to cover a portion of the receiving recess 921 so that the chip card cannot be removed from the receiving recess 921.
That the locking element 94 can be easily moved to allow insertion and locking of the chip card can prove problematic when a mobile phone inadvertently undergoes impact. This impact may result in an outer force that removes the locking element 94 from the receiving recess 921, which can, at a minimum, result in an ineffective electrical connection between the chip card and the connector 90. At worst, the chip card may become completely separated from the receiving recess 921.
What is needed, therefore, is a chip card retaining mechanism, which can overcome the above-described shortcomings.